Real Estate Law – Residential and Commercial

Real estate can be a thorny and complex issue, and being represented by an experienced attorney can mean the difference between a property that is free of encumbrances and a property that becomes a long-term liability.

Residential Real Estate – representing buyers or sellers

Legal representation can be very helpful in all real estate transactions and such representation should be in place prior to entering into a real estate transaction. This is especially true if you’re a first-time home buyer, because it’s most likely the biggest financial transaction of your life to this point. Attorney Matz will assist you in understanding the global process you will encounter in purchasing your home (financing, insurance, inspection, disclosures, etc).

Future litigation and headaches for buyers and sellers can be avoided by having Attorney Matz examine the contract before purchase. For every residential real estate sale or purchase, he will:

Review or prepare the contract to buy or sell

If he discovers through his research that there are any financial or legal issues surrounding the property (such as liens or boundary disputes), he will resolve them so you’re assured a smooth transaction and avoid problems in the future

Prepare the additional transfer documents between seller and buyer

Review your financing documents

Appear with you at closing

Title Insurance – commercial or residential

All lenders in Pennsylvania require title insurance on mortgages to protect their investment in your property. As an approved title agent, Attorney Matz will handle all title insurance needs for your transaction.

Title Insurance protects you from any previous claims on the property. This might include an unpaid mortgage, unpaid taxes, forgeries, undisclosed heirs, errors in deeds or county records, or liens put on the property by utility companies or contractors for unpaid debts. If problems arise after you purchase the property, the title insurance company stands behind you monetarily and legally, if necessary.

Fees for title insurance are dictated by Pennsylvania state law and are identical for all Title companies. Attorney Matz’s title insurance fees are consistent with any title insurance company in Pennsylvania.

Residential Leasing

If you wish to rent your home or an investment property, Attorney Matz will prepare a tenant’s lease for you. The lease will include the rent, terms, regulations, termination, and other covenants such as insurance and risk of loss.

Commercial Real Estate

Attorney Matz has represented commercial real estate developers in more than 120 million dollars of development in the Lehigh Valley. He can assist you in all facets of your project, including:

Retail, industrial and office leasing

Purchase and sales agreements

Government regulation

Financing

Real estate joint ventures and joint partnerships

Litigation

Negotiation

Land use and zoning

Taxes

Representation at state and local approval process: hearings, reviews, planning commissions, and zoning appeals